Ukraine Deputy Defence Minister Shapovalov Steps Down Following Allegations of Graft

Ukrainian deputy defence minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov and the deputy head of the presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, resigned on Tuesday, news agencies Reuters and AFP reported.

The reports said that the resignation of the highly-placed officials came after allegations of corruption were levelled against them. A Reuters report said that Tymoshenko was allegedly involved in several scandals. His personal use of lavish items, including luxury cars, was also highlighted in the report.

“I thank the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the trust and the opportunity to do good deeds every day and every minute,” Tymoshenko wrote on Telegram. He asked Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to relieve him of his duties on Monday.

He did not cite any reason for his stepping down. Ukrainian media said that Oleksiy Kuleba, the current governor of Kyiv Oblast, could replace him. They also reported earlier that Zelensky was planning a cabinet and personal reshuffle.

The president’s website displayed Tymoshenko’s resignation but did not offer any reason behind the move.

Reports by Ukrainian media said that Tymoshenko used a Chevrolet Tahoe donated for evacuating civilians from combat zones for his own purposes. He denied the allegations saying that he used it to travel to deoccupied regions.

Along with Tymoshenko, another deputy chief of staff for Zelensky, Oleh Tatarov is also expected to step down.

The reports also said governors of Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts will also resign soon. Zelensky earlier announced that there will be a reshuffle in the government and also at a regional and military level after allegations of corruption surfaced against highly-placed officials.

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